Mazda takes an interesting turn on the MX-5 – gives it pop-up tent in Japan

The segment for pop-up camper roofs is apparently quite large, and also popular around the world. We’ve seen German automakers offering such derivations in Europe and America, and now Mazda is doing the same at home in Japan.

We all know and love the Volkswagen California – based on the T6 Transporter but seemingly able to house your entire family without too much added space needed. And if you want to go pop-up camping in style then there’s the Mercedes-Benz V Class Marco Polo, which has luxury perks embedded from the start. But it’s fairly unusual to see a pop-up camping tent on a compact SUV such as the Mazda CX-5. This is because those vans are usually huge on the inside – and come with perks such as tables, a sink, a refrigerator – sometimes even a pop-up shower.

Mazda meanwhile seems to have worked a way to make the CX-5 Pop-up work as a double bed – two people can sleep on the folded seats and another two on top of the roof. The pop-up camper has a transparent outer membrane so you can gaze into the sunset and an LED roof light for when the night sets in. Mazda even has a history with such things – it had between 1995 and 2005 a model funnily dubbed the Bongo Friendee. The tent on the top has a fiberglass protection and the interior dimensions read out 1,800mm in length and 900mm of width – enough for an adult and a child.